1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of packaging foil pans and similar items. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a tray for packaging foil pans and a method of inserting foil pans into the tray to form a packaged assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Foil pans are typically displayed in stores and sold to consumers as part of a packaged assembly. Such foil pans may be round, square, or oval and are made out of aluminum foil typically having a thickness of from about 30 to 45 gauge. The packaged assembly generally includes a plurality of foil pans, nested together, and packaging to hold the foil pans together. Labels are also often provided, placed either on the packaging or on the foil pans themselves. The packaged assembly may be displayed in the store resting on a shelf in a horizontal orientation. However, the packaging may also include means for hanging the packaged assembly so that it may be displayed in a vertical orientation, such as hanging from a display rack.
A number of such packaging structures and methods are known. In one approach, a band made out of a heat-shrinkable plastic is placed around the outwardly-extending flange portions of the nested foil pans. Upon the application of heat, the plastic shrinks so as to fit snugly about the top and bottom of the flanges, thereby holding the foil pans together. A disadvantage of this method is that, because of their thin gauge nature, foil pans are easily dented, scratched, bent, crushed, or otherwise damaged during the handling that occurs before sale to the consumer. Particularly vulnerable is the outer surface of the assembly of nested foil pans, namely, the bottommost foil pan, which is susceptible to surface marring during shipment or display. Because the plastic band only covers the flange portions of the foil pans, the bottom and sides of the bottom foil pan in the packaged assembly remain exposed and are therefore subject to such damage. Another disadvantage of this method is that the heat shrink plastic band does not provide a good way to attach a hang tab to allow the foil pans to be hung for display.
Another approach is to use "blister" packaging, which typically consists of a top half and a bottom half, both halves being made out of a clear plastic. The nested foil pans are held between the two halves, which are then joined by heat-sealing, taping, stapling, or similar methods. Because the packaging completely surrounds the foil pans, the foil pans are protected to some degree from damage. A hang tab may also be conveniently provided on the "blister" packaging. However, "blister" packaging has the disadvantage of requiring more material and a complex packaging process in that the two halves must be mated together. Another disadvantage is that, because the packaging completely surrounds the foil pans, the consumer is not able to touch and feel any portion of the surface of the foil pans. Such direct and tactile observation of the foil pans is important in bolstering consumer confidence with the product and thus serves to enhance marketability.
Goulette U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,999 discloses a nestable container comprising a base and a hinged lid that may be used to package articles such as foil pans. The container is closed by means of a tongue disposed on the lid which engages a mating projection disposed on the base. A hang tab is also provided on the lid. When the lid is closed, the container completely surrounds the packaged articles. Preferably, the container is made out of a clear plastic so that the consumer is able to see the packaged articles. However, the consumer is unable to touch the packaged articles without opening the container. This presents a significant inconvenience to the consumer, particularly if the container is hung from a display rack. Indeed, if the container is opened while it is hung, either intentionally or by accident, the articles can easily fall out. Another disadvantage of this container is the complexity of its design.
Foss, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,536 discloses a pie crust package. A plurality of nested pie crust filled pie pans are held together in assembled relation by means of a clear plastic member dish-shaped to conform to the shape of the uppermost pie pan. The plastic member covers the top of the uppermost pie pan and has a downwardly depending flange with circular grooves to engage the peripheral edges of the pie pans. In this way, each packaged pie pan is held in a circular groove. A disadvantage of this design when used with foil pans is that, although the top most foil pan would be covered, the more vulnerable bottommost foil pan would remain exposed and thus subject to damage. Another disadvantage is that no hang tab is provided in the Foss assembly, so that no means are provided for display in a vertical orientation. The lack of a hang tab further means that no fixed reference point is provided to ensure that a label affixed to a Foss assembly displayed for retail will be in the proper orientation for reading or even that the labels on nested assemblies will all be in the same orientation.